The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.